U.S. patent application number 14/308676 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-24 for flexible shielded antenna array for radiated wireless test.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ixia. Invention is credited to Dov Even, Lester Noel Stott.
Application Number | 20150369851 14/308676 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54869414 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150369851 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Even; Dov ; et al. |
December 24, 2015 |
FLEXIBLE SHIELDED ANTENNA ARRAY FOR RADIATED WIRELESS TEST
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide shielding
and radio frequency (RF) antenna coupling for communication test
systems for the testing of wireless data communication devices and
systems, including Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) devices
and systems. In accordance with one or more embodiments, a
shielding and coupling system containing an array of RF antennas is
disclosed that includes a flexible jacket integrated with RF
shielding material that simultaneously isolates a device under test
(DUT) and couples signals from the antennas of the DUT. Such a
system may offer improved capabilities such as a faster and more
efficient method of isolating the DUT from external interference, a
more repeatable and simplified method of transmitting and receiving
MIMO RF signals from DUTs having built-in antennas, and a more
portable and lower cost RF test setup.
Inventors: |
Even; Dov; (Lake Oswego,
OR) ; Stott; Lester Noel; (Aloha, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ixia |
Calabasas |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54869414 |
Appl. No.: |
14/308676 |
Filed: |
June 18, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
343/703 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01R 29/105 20130101;
H01Q 1/526 20130101; G01R 29/0878 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G01R 29/10 20060101
G01R029/10; H01Q 1/52 20060101 H01Q001/52 |
Claims
1. A combined shielding and coupling system for isolating and
coupling to a wireless device under test (DUT), the system
comprising: a flexible jacket including a radio-frequency shielding
layer for enclosing at least a portion of a DUT and
electromagnetically shielding the DUT; an antenna mounted in or on
the jacket for residing within an enclosure formed by the jacket
and coupling with an antenna of the DUT; and a connector for
connecting the antenna mounted in or on the jacket with a test
system.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the jacket is foldable along at
least one axis to enclose at least a portion of the DUT.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the jacket forms a pocket for
receiving the DUT.
4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of
antennas mounted in or on the jacket for multiple input multiple
output (MIMO) communication with the DUT.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the jacket includes a plurality
of antennas that are combined into a single signal path.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the jacket includes a plurality
of antennas divided into a plurality of groups, all antennas in one
group being combined into a single signal path.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the jacket includes radio
frequency (RF) shields operating as waveguides below cutoff.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein said RF shields operating as
waveguides below cutoff are created with foldable side flaps
containing RF shield extensions.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the jacket includes DUT power
supply provisions.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the jacket includes thermal
cooling provisions.
11. A method for shielding and testing a wireless device under
test, the method comprising: connecting a test system to a
connector on a flexible jacket including a radio frequency
shielding layer and an antenna mounted in or on the jacket;
enclosing at least a portion of a device under test within the
jacket; and wirelessly transmitting data from the antenna mounted
in or on the jacket to the device under test.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein enclosing at least a portion of
the device under test within the jacket includes folding the jacket
to enclose the device under test.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein enclosing at least a portion of
the device under test with the jacket includes placing the device
under test in a pocket formed by the jacket.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the jacket includes a plurality
of antennas mounted in or on the jacket for multiple input multiple
output (MIMO) communication, and wherein wirelessly transmitting
data to and receiving data from the device under test includes
transmitting and receiving the data using MIMO communications.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the jacket includes a plurality
of antennas mounted in or on the jacket, and the antennas are
combined into a single signal path.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the jacket includes a plurality
of antennas mounted in or on the jacket and that are divided into a
plurality of groups, all antennas in one group being combined to
form a single signal path.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the jacket includes radio
frequency (RF) shields operating as waveguides below cutoff.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said RF shields operating as
waveguides below cutoff are created with foldable side flaps
containing RF shield extensions.
19. The method of claim 11, further including powering said device
under test using a power supply connection accessible by the device
under test through the jacket.
20. The method of claim 11, further comprising thermally cooling
the device under test using features in the jacket.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The subject matter described herein relates generally to the
test and measurement of wireless data communication systems; and
more particularly to systems and methods for testing RF devices and
systems with built-in or non-detachable antennas; including, but
not limited to, multiple-input multiple-output data communication
devices and systems.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Sophisticated wireless data communications devices, systems
and networks, such as cellular telephones and wireless LAN
transceivers, are in widespread use worldwide. There is increasing
need for higher data rates and the support of an increased number
of users and data traffic, and these networks employ complex signal
waveforms and advanced radio frequency capabilities such as
multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signal coding for achieving
higher bandwidths. Further, the rapidly decreasing physical size
and power consumption of these devices and systems cause them to
become ever more highly integrated, with internal antennas and
fully sealed construction. All of these techniques, however,
increase the complexity of the wireless devices. Manufacturers,
vendors and users therefore have a greater need for better testing
of such systems.
[0003] Unfortunately, the complexity of wireless data communication
devices and systems makes them particularly problematic to test due
to the difficulty of accessing their internally integrated
antennas, isolating them from external interference, and
controlling the coupling between the wireless device and the test
equipment. Actual open-air RF environments contain high levels of
uncontrollable noise and interference, and also present
time-varying and unpredictable channel statistics. However,
external noise and interference have significant impact on device
performance. The lack of controllability and repeatability also
makes it difficult or impossible to automate the testing of such
wireless systems. Therefore, it is very attractive to manufacturers
and users to test these devices in a repeatable fashion by
excluding the interference and variability of real RF environments
and also controlling the degree of coupling between the wireless
device and the test equipment. This also enables the tests to be
conducted in an automated fashion, or by personnel not highly
skilled in RF channel characteristics.
[0004] Traditional methods of isolating and coupling to wireless
communications devices include: anechoic and reverberation
chambers; shielded enclosures of various sizes; cabled connection
to device antenna connectors or antennas; use of antenna ranges;
and operation in open air environments. All of these methods
exhibit one or more deficiencies when considering the requirements
of modern MIMO wireless devices. Anechoic and reverberation
chambers are very expensive, bulky and fixed at one location due to
their large size and weight. Shielded enclosures offer limited
portability but are still relatively expensive and heavy, and
suffer from repeatability issues. Further, small shielded
enclosures present many problems when dealing with MIMO systems.
Cabled connections to the wireless device under test are simple and
offer very high repeatability and low cost, but are unfortunately
impractical or impossible with modern highly integrated compact
devices such as cellular telephones. Outdoor antenna ranges are
expensive and difficult to find, due to their real estate
requirements, and further have problems when dealing with MIMO
transmission. Open air environments are highly variable, nearly
impossible to reproduce, and present significant challenges with
repeatability and controllability. All of these problems are
exacerbated when considering the trend in modern wireless devices
of incorporating multiple antennas that are integrated into the
device, non-detachable, and with a high degree of impact on device
performance.
[0005] The known methods in the field of wireless device testing
therefore suffers from serious shortcomings with regard to
isolating and coupling to a device under test. There is hence a
need for improved wireless data communication test systems and
methods. A system that is inexpensive, highly portable, and capable
of handling devices with integrated non-detachable antennas is
desirable. It is preferable for such a system to provide shielding
of the device under test from external interference, as well as
coupling of radio frequency signals between the device under test
and the test equipment. Further, such a system should allow
repeatable coupling to device antennas without special jigs or
expensive fittings, even though the device antennas may be located
internally and not visible in normal operation. Finally, the system
should present simplified use and operation to permit less skilled
personnel to conduct testing of advanced wireless devices, and
should also accommodate wireless devices of different sizes and
shapes without modification.
SUMMARY
[0006] A combined shielding and coupling system for isolating and
coupling to a wireless device under test is provided. The system
includes a flexible jacket including a radio frequency shielding
layer for enclosing at least a portion of a device under test, and
electromagnetically shielding the device under test. An antenna
mounted in or on the jacket resides within an enclosure formed by
the jacket and couples with an antenna of the device under test. A
connector is provided for connecting the antenna mounted in or on
the jacket with a test system.
[0007] The test system described herein may be implemented in
hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. As such,
the terms "function" "node" or "module" as used herein refer to
hardware, which may also include software and/or firmware
components, for implementing the feature being described. In one
exemplary implementation, the test system described herein may be
implemented using a computer readable medium having stored thereon
computer executable instructions that when executed by the
processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps.
Exemplary computer readable media suitable for implementing the
test system described herein include non-transitory
computer-readable media, such as disk memory devices, chip memory
devices, programmable logic devices, and application specific
integrated circuits. In addition, a computer readable medium that
implements the subject matter described herein may be located on a
single device or computing platform or may be distributed across
multiple devices or computing platforms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The subject matter described herein will now be explained
with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a shield jacket with a single
antenna cabled to the test equipment and showing placement of DUT
according to an embodiment of the subject matter described
herein;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a view of shield jacket folded over a DUT and
secured according to an embodiment of the subject matter described
herein;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram of layers comprising shield jacket
according to an embodiment of the subject matter described
herein;
[0012] FIG. 4 is an electrical circuit diagram of a DUT with an
internal antenna and coupling to a jacket antenna, and showing
shield as well according to an embodiment of the subject matter
described herein;
[0013] FIG. 5 is an outline diagram of jacket with 2 antennas for
2.times.2 MIMO according to an embodiment of the subject matter
described herein;
[0014] FIG. 6 is an outline diagram of jacket with 6 antennas in a
regular pattern, plus dividers according to an embodiment of the
subject matter described herein;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a mechanical diagram of jacket (top view)
according to an embodiment of the subject matter described
herein;
[0016] FIG. 8 is a mechanical diagram of jacket (side view)
according to an embodiment of the subject matter described
herein;
[0017] FIG. 9 is a diagram of waveguide below cutoff side flaps
according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;
and
[0018] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process
for testing a device using a shield jacket according to an
embodiment of the subject matter described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The subject matter described herein includes a foldable
shield jacket for surrounding RF components of a DUT while allowing
those components to communicate with a test device. FIG. 1 shows a
plan view of a flat flexible jacket 100 with an integral RF
shielding layer that may be folded and secured over a wireless
device under test (DUT) 102 to isolate it from external RF
interference. Jacket 100 may be secured with temporarily adhesive
strips 104, such as Velcro. DUT 102 may be placed at a predefined
location on jacket 100 before jacket 100 is folded over and
secured. A wireless antenna 106 is integrated onto the inner
surface of shield jacket 102 to couple RF signals to and from the
DUT antenna. Jacket antenna 106 may be connected to an RF connector
108 (such as a standard microwave subminiature version A (SMA)
connector) by a short length of flexible RF cable 110. Both
connector 108 and cable 110 may be also permanently attached to
shield jacket 100.
[0020] In FIG. 1, jacket 100 is represented for exemplary purposes
as being rectangular in shape and foldable about a center line of
jacket 100. In an alternate implementation, jacket 100 may be made
of other geometric shapes, such as square or circular shapes. Any
foldable regular or irregular polygonal shape for jacket 100 is
intended to be within the scope of the subject matter described
herein.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows an isometric view of flexible jacket 100 after
being folded over the DUT 102 and secured with Velcro strips 104.
Antenna 106 integrated into jacket 100 as well as flexible RF cable
110 and connector 108 are also shown. External test equipment 112
may be connected to RF connector 108 mounted on shield jacket 100
via RF cables 113. Test equipment 112 can exchange RF signals with
DUT 102 as shield jacket antenna 106 is electrically coupled to the
DUT antenna(s). The close proximity of shield jacket antenna 106 to
the DUT antenna(s) may cause the efficiency of coupling to be quite
high, while the fact that DUT 102 is fully enclosed within shield
jacket 100 may cause a significant amount of reduction in external
interference.
[0022] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a possible implementation of
shield jacket 100. Shield jacket 100 comprises an outer layer 114
of insulating material such as polyester or any other flexible
plastic or cloth. Outer layer 114 should be sufficiently durable to
resist normal wear and tear. A metallic or metallized polymer RF
shield layer 116 is then attached to outer layer 114, and on top of
shield layer 116 is attached dielectric layer 118, such as
polyester laminated with dielectric foam. Wireless antenna 106
integrated into jacket 100 is mounted on top of dielectric layer
118; dielectric layer 118 improves the electrical performance of
antenna 106 and separates and isolates antenna 106 from RF shield
layer 116 (which acts as an extended ground plane for the antenna).
An inner layer 120 of insulating material (again, polyester or
other flexible cloth) is mounted above antenna 106 and dielectric
layer 118. Velcro strips 104 are then attached to inner insulating
layer 120. The whole ensemble may be sewn together or otherwise
permanently attached so as to form a flat sheet that can be folded
along a predefined line. Note that RF connector 108 and flexible RF
cable 110 connecting the RF connector 108 to the shield jacket
antenna 106 are normally also attached to shield jacket 100 by
stitching, and RF shield layer 116 is grounded to the body of
connector 108. RF connector 108 is mounted such that when shield
jacket 100 is folded, connector 108 appears on the outside in a
position suitable for connecting to the test equipment.
[0023] FIG. 4 depicts an equivalent electrical model of the shield
jacket and DUT mechanical arrangement shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
As shown, shield jacket antenna 106 is very close to DUT antenna
122, so coupling is usually mainly capacitive (or inductive in rare
cases). The close proximity of antennas 106 and 122 means that the
coupling coefficient is very high, and RF signal transfer is quite
efficient. RF shielding layer 116 enclosed within the inner and
outer polyester layers 120 and 114 acts as a nearly continuous
electromagnetic shield completely surrounding DUT 102; as such,
this may perform a similar function to a shielded enclosure, but at
a significant reduction in weight, size and cost. The shielding
effectiveness of shield jacket 100 is necessarily lower than that
of a good quality enclosure, but in most cases this is not a
significant issue because of the greatly improved coupling
efficiency. RF shield layer 116 is electrically bonded to connector
108 and thus forms an extension of the coaxial cable shield of RF
cable 113 used to connect to test equipment 112.
[0024] Some considerations and alternatives of the arrangement
shown in FIG. 1 may be covered here. FIG. 1 shows the jacket 100 as
being a flat sheet that is folded over the DUT 102; however, the
jacket may also be constructed in the form of a pocket or pouch
into which DUT 102 is placed, optionally with a flap that is folded
over to complete the RF shield around the DUT. Electrically bonding
shield layer 116 to itself at the edges of the pouch or pocket may
improve the shielding effectiveness of jacket 100 in this
configuration. Jacket 100 may be constructed from layers of
flexible non-conductive fabric and metallized or metallic sheet
(e.g., metallized Mylar), and additional layers of fabric may be
provided to cover the cabling and antennas to provide for a more
pleasing appearance. Further, logos or other pictorial
representations may be sewn on to the fabric or stenciled or
painted on its surface. DUT 102 is generally assumed to be battery
powered; however, power cables or non-RF test wires to DUT 102 may
be accommodated by leading these wires in through the corners or
sides of jacket 100. Test antenna 106 mounted on shield jacket 100
may be of any compact type, such as a surface-mount chip-style
antenna, a small PCB substrate with etched traces, or compact
wire/cylinder styles.
[0025] The multiple laminated layers comprising jacket 100 provide
for a certain stiffness, even though the overall construction is
flexible. As a consequence, after jacket 100 is folded over DUT 102
and held securely with Velcro strips 104, DUT 102 remains in an
approximately fixed position relative to antenna 106 of shield
jacket 100, even with some limited handling. Inner layer 120 may be
given a non-slip surface treatment to further prevent DUT 102 from
moving about within jacket 100. As a consequence, the coupling
between DUT 102 and shield jacket antenna 106 is held constant and
repeatable even without the use of mounting jigs. To further
facilitate this, a DUT outline (or key reference points) may be
marked on inner layer 120 of the shield jacket 100 to allow
repeatable placement of the same or different DUTs 102 within the
jacket.
[0026] As previously mentioned, shield jacket antenna 106 is
physically close to the DUT antenna(s) 122, thereby increasing the
efficiency of coupling. This is true even with DUTs 102 having
integral antenna(s) 122; such DUTs 102 are difficult to deal with
in shielded enclosures without special mounting jigs or
precautions. If DUT 102 is capable of operating on multiple
wireless bands, or implements multiple wireless protocols (such as
wireless LAN and Bluetooth), a multiband antenna can be used in
shield jacket 100 to enable all of the frequency bands and wireless
protocols to be tested.
[0027] It may be apparent that this system is very inexpensive and
far lighter and more portable than anechoic chambers or shielded
enclosures, while still offering the benefits of enhanced RF
isolation and consistent and repeatable signal coupling. In
particular it may be apparent that this system can be used without
special setup or infrastructure requirements, and it will be
readily clear to personnel not trained in RF techniques as to how
to position and secure the DUT 102 within jacket 100 and connect it
to test equipment 112.
[0028] FIG. 5 shows a shield jacket system that can be used to test
MIMO DUTs. Shield jacket 100 illustrated in FIG. 5 comprises the
standard elements of the single-antenna shield jacket system
depicted in FIG. 1, but incorporates two (or more) antennas 106
rather than a single antenna 106. Each antenna 106 is connected to
a separate RF connector 108 via a separate run of flexible RF cable
110. The multiple antennas 106 in shield jacket 100 couple to the
multiple antennas 122 of DUT 102. The geometry of the system and
the placement of DUT 102 at the center of the shield jacket system
ensures that differential coupling exists between different pairs
of DUT antennas 106 and shield jacket antennas. The operation of
the remainder of the system is identical to that of the
single-antenna case.
[0029] It may not be necessary for careful placement of DUT
antennas 122 with respect to shield jacket antennas 106. As noted
above, differential coupling is created by physical separation of
shield jacket antennas 106, and this differential coupling
effectively sets up a MIMO channel model between shield jacket
antennas 106 and DUT antennas 122. While this MIMO channel model
does not resemble the normal MIMO channel in an open-air
environment containing scatterers, it is nevertheless sufficient to
allow MIMO transmission to occur and multiple parallel streams of
data to be exchanged between DUT 102 and the test equipment
112.
[0030] One benefit of the arrangement in FIG. 5 is that MIMO DUTs
with integral antennas can be simply and easily tested. There may
be a substantial reduction in cost and size over standard MIMO
enclosures or chambers. Repeatability may be ensured by placing the
DUT on the same location in the shield jacket before folding over
and securing it. This aligns the DUT antennas in the same position
relative to the shield jacket antennas, and sets up substantially
the same MIMO channel model each time the system is set up and
used.
[0031] FIG. 6 shows an enhancement of the system of FIG. 5, where
additional antennas are embedded into the shield jacket 100 and
combined into a single system using power dividers 124. Each block
of additional antennas 106 acts electrically as a single antenna,
as the signals from all of the antennas are additively combined (or
signals injected into the power dividers 124 are linearly split
among antennas 106). As in the case of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, there may
be either one block of additional antennas 106 (for a SISO system)
or multiple blocks (for a MIMO system). The number of MIMO spatial
streams supported may be determined by the number of separate
blocks of antennas 106.
[0032] The arrangement in FIG. 6 has the benefit that there is a
shield jacket antenna 106 in close proximity to one of the internal
antennas 122 in DUT 102, regardless of where an antenna 122 may
actually be physically integrated into the DUT. This enhances
coupling to DUT 102 without necessitating the precise placement of
the DUT within the shield jacket, or even determining where DUT
antennas 122 are located with respect to the DUT geometry. The use
of power dividers 124 ensures that the overall system impedance is
maintained regardless of the number of additional antennas
employed; the power split among the shield jacket antennas 106
results in a small loss of efficiency, but this is compensated for
by the increase in coupling efficiency by having at least one
shield jacket antenna 106 in closer proximity to a DUT antenna 122.
SMA connectors 108 for connecting to test equipment 112 may be
rigidly mounted on power dividers 124, or may be separately mounted
on jacket 100 and one or more flexible cables 110 used to connect
connectors 108 to power dividers 124.
[0033] The benefits of the arrangement of FIG. 6 are readily
observed. Larger DUTs 102 may be accommodated by enlarging jacket
100 and spreading out the additional antennas across the inner
surface of jacket 100, without losing efficiency due to an
increased distance between DUT 102 and shield jacket antennas 106.
The need for precise placement of DUT 102 within shield jacket 100
may be obviated. Any number of antennas 106 may be included in
shield jacket 100, organized as any number of groups/blocks; the
number of antennas within each group improves the coupling to the
DUT, while the number of groups/blocks increases the number of MIMO
spatial streams that can be handled.
[0034] FIG. 7 shows the top view of a typical mechanical drawing
for shield jacket 100 and antenna array 106. The shield jacket
fabric may have antennas 106 sewn between the outer and inner
layers of fabric (as depicted in FIG. 3). A dual power divider 124
may also be sewn to the fabric; this power divider 124 integrates
the two separate power dividers shown in FIG. 6 into a single
housing, but is otherwise electrically similar. C1, C2, C3 are
flexible SMA cables 110 connecting the antennas 106 to power
divider 124, and may be secured to the jacket fabric by stitching.
The test equipment is connected to SMA connectors 108 on the
right.
[0035] FIG. 8 is a mechanical drawing of shield jacket fabric
layers made of polyester, with Velcro strips 104 used to secure the
jacket around the DUT. Polyester layers 118 and 120 sandwich
antennas 106 (which may be small `chip` style or `PCB` style
multiband antennas), which are mounted on a polyester backing layer
118 with laminated foam. RF shield layer 116 is placed between
backing layer 118 and outside polyester fabric layer 118, so that
it is separated from antennas 106 with a dielectric medium. The
whole arrangement may be sewn together to create a durable system
that facilitates repeatable DUT placement and removal, and can be
folded a number of times without losing mechanical or electrical
integrity.
[0036] FIG. 9 shows an arrangement for further isolating DUT 102
and reducing the impact of external RF interference, employing the
concept of a `waveguide below cutoff`. This arrangement makes use
of the fact that a slot or hole in an otherwise continuous metallic
layer is opaque to RF radiation if the width of the slot or radius
of the hole is substantially less than one wavelength. Thus the
isolating effect is that of an unbroken metallic sheet. The effect
of the waveguide below cutoff is created by providing the shield
jacket with a set of flaps 126 located on one half of the jacket.
After the jacket is folded in half over the DUT along the main
fold, flaps 126 are in turn folded over the other half. By
extending the RF shield into the flaps as an electrically
continuous conductive layer, RF shield layer 116 is caused to
overlap with itself for at least a half wavelength. The effect
caused thereby resembles a waveguide below cutoff, and excludes
external RF radiation from entering the inside of folded shield
jacket 100 and affecting DUT 102. In order for this to function, RF
shield layer 116 must be electrically continuous into folded flaps
126, and the polyester and foam insulating layers must be
sufficiently thin.
[0037] Many other embodiments and applications of this arrangement
may be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Jacket 100 may be
unfolded and placed within a conventional shielded enclosure or
anechoic chamber, potentially being attached to the wall of the
chamber with the antennas pointing inwards, to serve as an antenna
array. In another embodiment, small holes may be created in the
polyester fabric and RF shield layer 116 for power dissipation, in
order to deal with DUTs that need cooling airflow for normal
operation; if each individual hole is well below 1 wavelength, the
RF shielding properties will not be impaired. In yet another
embodiment, a power cord and filter may be sewn into the shield
jacket to supply operating power to DUTs if required; for example,
if the battery capacity of the DUT is insufficient, or the DUT is
not battery powered at all. In still another embodiment, the shield
jacket may be cut and formed into different shapes (e.g., pouches,
bags, wrappings) to accommodate the requirements of thick or oddly
shaped DUTs. Another embodiment may include shield jacket antennas
that are oriented in different directions to accommodate different
polarizations of DUT antennas.
[0038] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process
for testing a DUT using jacket 100 according to an embodiment of
the subject matter described herein. Referring to FIG. 10, at step
1000, test system 112 is connected to RF connector 108 of jacket
100. The connection would typically be via an RF cable 113. At step
1002 the DUT is enclosed within shield jacket 100. As stated above,
the enclosing may be achieved through folding or wrapping of jacket
100 around DUT 102 or placing DUT 102 in a pocket formed by jacket
100. At step 1004, test system 112 transmits RF data to and
receives RF data from DUT 102 while DUT 102 is shielded by jacket
100.
[0039] It will be understood that various details of the presently
disclosed subject matter may be changed without departing from the
scope of the presently disclosed subject matter. Furthermore, the
foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and
not for the purpose of limitation.
* * * * *